


The Colossus Hunt

by rosamynal



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Ascians (Final Fantasy XIV), Disguise, Elidibus turns into a Miqo'te, Emet-Selch no stay out of this, Enemies to maybe friends?, Female Miqo'te (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Hunt, Reconnaissance, The moonman has a plan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:29:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21740647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosamynal/pseuds/rosamynal
Summary: Elidibus watches the Warrior of Light from a nearby rooftop. He then hatches a plan to gather more information about his enemy.
Relationships: Elidibus & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 33





	The Colossus Hunt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TenkeyLess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TenkeyLess/gifts).



> The first of two fics written to thank TenkeyLess for her wonderful artwork. <3

Elidibus watched from the shadows of a nearby rooftop. 

The female Keeper of the Moon had spent the morning running about the area, evidently handling errands for the people of the town. When she left the borders of the settlement, he vanished only to reappear in the general area to which she had gone. With her task accomplished, the woman typically returned to Revenant’s Toll either by foot or by teleporting to the town’s aetheryte. Either way, the Ascian would step into the darkness each time and reemerge on his rooftop perch to continue watching the Miqo’te. 

With all plans proceeding apace, the Emissary had deigned to gather information on the enigmatic Warrior of Light. His observations corroborated with Lahabrea’s initial reports: the woman was a veritable fount of energy who seemed to go out of her way to help those in the town. The Keeper even stopped to play with the children he had seen running around. 

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the children were called away and the Warrior relaxed against a wall. Elidibus watched the woman close her eyes to enjoy the sudden tranquility that had fallen over the town. An eyebrow lifted below the Emissary's red mask while a gold claw came up to tap on his lower lip.

He weighed his options and considered the outcomes of the two choices presented to him. Certainly he had confirmed what he already knew of the Warrior of Light, but had his observation truly shown him anything  _ new _ ? A riskier path lay before him, an opportunity to shed light on the mysterious Warrior that threatened their plans. The stoic Emissary allowed himself a faint smile, turned on his heel, and vanished into the darkness.

  
  
  


It wasn’t that Elidibus did not want to take a vessel as it was that there was typically no  _ need _ for him to do so. In their unending war against Hydaelyn and Her followers, he rarely had reason to truly take the field as Emissary. Unlike Lahabrea who regularly claimed and discarded vessels as if they were fruit rinds and Emet-Selch who carefully and strategically chose his vessels according to his plans, Elidibus preferred to work from the shadows. A physical form is unnecessary when whispering in ears and, if one is honest, only gets in the way.

_ This _ particular plan, however, called for more… hands-on reconnaissance.

Aether coalesced around the Emissary, adding mass to his ephemeral form and giving more weight to his steps. It rippled around him, changing his hooded white robes into a dark red traveling coat; his mask converted into a wide-brim hat the same color as his coat to shade his eyes. The golden adornments dissipated from his gloves and boots, leaving them plain and unassuming. Their composing aether instead reformed at his waist in the shape of a rapier and a crystal focus. 

A mere thought adapted his own appearance into one he believed the Warrior would find more approachable. He closed his silver eyes as he lost a few ilms in height. A long, thin tail grew from the base of his spine, slightly swaying from side to side as he waited for the other changes to take shape. Elidibus removed his hat while his canines lengthened into fangs. His ears migrated up his head and sprouted into cat ears the same color as his silver hair. They flicked and swiveled at the surrounding sounds before he stilled to thread them through the slits in his hat. Feeling the transformation come to an end, he opened his eyes and walked through the gates of Revenant’s Toll. 

The Warrior still leaned against the same wall as before, seemingly lost in thought with her eyes closed. Her raven blue ears twitched at his approach, however. The Emissary was suddenly reminded how cumbersome a physical body could be when attempting stealth. The Miqo’te opened her eyes, allowing a pair of golden orbs to focus on him. Curiosity entered her gaze as the very tip of her long tail twitched to and fro.

He doffed his hat and slightly bowed before addressing the woman.

“Forgive the interruption, miss, but do you know where I could find lodgings for the night?”

She seemed to consider the question for a moment. Her tail flicked as she thought. 

After a second or two, she nodded and asked him to follow her. The Warrior led him past the aetheryte and into what looked like a bar. He glanced around the establishment while she spoke with someone working a counter. There were a few patrons, mainly adventurers and townspeople he recognized from his observation of the Miqo’te. 

One caught Elidibus watching after he slammed back a flagon. The large adventurer shot the disguised Ascian a glare and was halfway out of his seat before the Warrior returned with a key. She held it up and triumphantly waved it.

“You’re lucky! There’s one vacancy. It’s in the building across the street.”

“Oi! Is this a friend of yours, Warrior?” the large drunkard shouted. 

The Miqo’te’s ears perked up before twisting back as she glanced from Elidibus to the adventurer. 

“I’m just helping him,” she replied.

“Then help him out by telling him to keep his damn eyes to himself or the last thing he’ll see is the business side of my axe.”

“Oh relax, will you? He’s probably staring ‘cause of your manners. I’m sure another drink’ll help you forget he even came in here.”

Before the adventurer could retort, the Warrior took Elidibus by the elbow and led him out of the bar.

“Sorry about him,” she said, releasing him once they were outside. “He can get a bit violent once he’s had too much to drink.”

“Fortunate for me that you were there,” he replied. 

The Warrior flashed him a friendly smile. She waved for him to follow as she crossed the street and led him into a building.

“What brings you all the way out to Revenant’s Toll?” she asked as they climbed the stairs. “Not much out here for many folks.”

“The road, I suppose. I’ve been looking for something and it happened to lead me here.”

Her ears perked up. She stopped on a landing to look back at him, raven ponytail swinging behind her head.

“Oh? What is it? If you don’t mind my asking, of course. Maybe I can help.”

Elidibus fought to maintain his stoicism in the face of his enemy. If he had known it would be this easy to lay a trap for their greatest threat, he would have done this moons ago. Tempted as he was to point her towards an isolated location and summon a behemoth for her to contend with, he instead chose something simpler for this information-gathering mission. He recalled one of Emet-Selch’s more gleeful reports regarding the nearby castrum.

“A dependable client informed me of a magitek colossus attacking treasure-seekers in the area. My client deals with repurposing magitek components and tasked me with taking care of this mechanical menace. Would you happen to know anything about it?”

The Warrior hummed thoughtfully as she resumed climbing the stairs. 

“I can’t say that I do, but I’ve been away for nearly a moon so I’m catching up on things myself. Don’t worry, though; we can ask around in the morning.”

Now  _ that _ caught him off guard.

“Th-the morning?” he echoed. “Honestly, miss, I—”

She cut him off with a firm shake of her head and stopped outside one of the doors lining the hallway.

“If you’re about to say that you want to handle this on your own, then you’re out of luck. If some Garlean creation  _ is _ out running amok and hurting people, then I want to make sure it gets taken down. Best way I can do that is to be part of the hunting party.” She smiled and handed Elidibus the key. “I’ll see if my sources have anything and we’ll take stock in the morning, alright?”

Fearing his words might fail him again, Elidibus simply nodded in response. The Warrior bid him goodbye with a small wave and wished him a good night’s rest before climbing back down the stairs. He stared after her for a moment in an attempt to decipher what had just transpired. His silver gaze dropped down to the key in his palm—idly marveling at the weight of such a small object—and lifted again to look at the stairs. Had she just…  _ invited _ herself along?

To maintain appearances, the disguised Ascian unlocked the door using the key. He stepped through into the sparsely furnished room, pocketed the key, and closed the door behind him. A meticulous sweep of the room showed him that  _ no _ , it was not trapped. In fact, the most dangerous thing about the room seemed to be the uneven wooden flooring.

Elidibus leaned back against the door with a quiet sigh, his ears unconsciously drooping while his tail finally ceased its endless swaying to fall still. He closed his eyes, unable to believe his luck. He voiced his disbelief in a long-dead tongue.

**_“Is it truly this simple? We have spent millennia battling Hydaelyn’s chosen. We have schemed and plotted and killed each incarnation that reared its meddlesome head when all it took is vaguely alluding to a problem that must needs be fixed and_ ** **_this_ ** **_incarnation jumps at the opportunity to_ ** **_help_ ** **_.”_ **

This tactic was already paying dividends. They could use this knowledge with a future incarnation to have them unwittingly arrange Rejoinings on their behalf. A faint smile graced the Emissary’s face as he removed his weapon, hat, and coat.

**_“You may end up helping us just yet, my old friend.”_ **

A knock at the door startled Elidibus out of his slumber. He shot up in bed and reflexively threw the covers to one side. His ears focused on the door while the silver fur on his thin tail instinctively stood on end. Upon realizing his reaction, location, and the way his heart pounded against the walls of his rib cage, Elidibus did his best to regain control of his emotions. 

Such unnecessarily extreme reactions were  _ precisely _ why he never took a vessel. He snatched the flailing tail from where it writhed among the covers and tried to smooth the fur down. Once content with its appearance, he slid out of bed—when had he fallen asleep?—and ran a hand through his hair on his way to the door.

The Warrior awaited him on the other side. She initially greeted him with a cheerful smile, but tensed and shot her ears up in surprise when she fully took him in. Pink tinged her cheeks as a hand darted up to cover her gasp.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t think you’d still be asleep!”

“Think nothing of it,” he replied, shaking his head. “This is a rare morning for me. Typically  _ I _ am the one entrusted to wake others. I take it you are here for a reason?”

The woman nodded, but partially turned away from him and flattened her ears against the back of her head.

“I am, but please. Take a moment to get dressed. I’ll go wait outside.”

Elidibus raised an eyebrow as she descended the stairs—the tip of her tail twitching all the while. He glanced down at himself to find he had removed most of his clothes at one point, leaving him solely in a pair of pants. His eyes widened as he stared at his state of undress and he darted inside before closing the door. 

Despite being unable to recall disrobing, he found his shirt folded neatly in the seat of a chair on whose back he had draped his coat. He had also evidently placed his hat on top of the shirt and carefully set his boots beside the chair. Memories came forth of days long past and nightly rituals once performed by his own hands in a home lost to time.

He forcefully shook his head to clear his thoughts. Dragging his hands down his face, the Emissary pushed away the memories; that had always been Emet-Selch’s source of comfort, not his. Elidibus was more concerned with the present, the future—with  _ His _ return.

His fingers idly scratched the edge of his jaw and the light stubble he found there. A rumble in his stomach reminded him that vessels required sustenance, unlike his typical form. He sighed heavily and put on his clothes, determined to finish this self-appointed mission quickly so he could discard this bothersome vessel he had created.

True to her word, the Warrior was waiting for him outside. She greeted him with another smile and a wave before leading him back to the bar. They sat at a table while he ordered something simple to eat, if only to maintain appearances—and quiet his stomach.

Over his breakfast of tea and buttered bread, the Warrior explained what her sources had told her. There was indeed a magitek colossus attacking adventurers near the castrum. It was believed to be nearly random, until each victim confessed to searching for treasure in the vicinity. The Miqo’te had already acquired a treasure map for the area. The only thing left to do was locate the treasure and lure out the colossus.

Elidibus reluctantly found himself admiring the Warrior. To have accomplished so much in so little time spoke volumes of the resources at her fingertips. One other thing had also been made evident.

“Did you not sleep?”

Nervous laughter slipped from the woman’s lips. She tried to hide her embarrassment by sipping her orange juice, but her lowered ears and twitching tail gave her away. He raised both eyebrows as he continued to study the dark-haired Miqo’te. The Warrior finally huffed, ears twisting to face her ponytail in defeat.

“No, but I took a nap,” she confessed. “I’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. I’ve gone longer without sleep. Besides, I can’t really sleep knowing something is out there attacking people when I can find a way to stop it.”

The exchange bordered on the edge of nostalgic familiarity. Elidibus could very nearly hear Emet-Selch cajoling their old colleague from his typical napping spot on the lounge’s couch. For the second time that morning, Elidibus forced himself to focus on the present and—more importantly—his current purpose. 

The Warrior seemingly misinterpreted the action.

“I mean it; I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I’ll sleep like a kitten once we’ve taken care of that colossus.”

“I pray that you do,” he lied, taking a sip of tea.

After all, the sooner this incarnation dies, the sooner a new one will be reborn—and the sooner he can bring the young Warrior under his wing and influence.

She spread out a map of the area on her side of the table and placed a worn scrap of leather atop it. Faded lines drawn onto the latter suggested it was the map the Warrior had located. She held it over sections of the larger map, tilting it one way and then the other. With a happy gasp and perked ears, she jabbed her finger into a section of the map.

“I think it must be here,” she announced quietly. “We’ll head out once you’re done.”

Impressed she had pinpointed it so quickly, Elidibus held out a hand for the map.

“May I?” he asked. 

She gave it over without question. He rotated the treasure map until he recognized the landscape from the previous day’s observation. Elidibus leaned closer to the map and lightly tapped south of where the Warrior had her finger.

“I think you’ll find it to be here, instead. This ridge lines up correctly.”

The Miqo’te tilted her head and squinted at both maps. A moment later, she nodded in agreement.

“You’re right, but that’s the Tangle. I was there just yesterday and I don’t remember seeing any treasure.”

Elidibus couldn’t help but smile at her confusion.

“Isn’t that the point of a well-hidden treasure, miss? If it were to be out in the open or sparkling to get attention, it would not stay hidden for very long.”

The Warrior conceded with a smile. She excused herself to fetch her gear while he finished his tea. When she returned, the woman bore a sword at her hip and a shield on her back. 

They left the town soon after out of the western gate. Recalling how the creatures in the area chased after the Warrior the previous day—and in no mood to waste time running away or fighting them—Elidibus subtly wove a spell around them to camouflage the pair. The Warrior failed to notice the spell itself, although she did comment how strange it was that things were ignoring them. Elidibus simply hummed in agreement.

When they reached the site shown on the treasure map, they found it blessedly free of things wishing to eat them. The Warrior immediately went to work searching for the treasure. Elidibus, on the other hand, extended his senses and surveyed the area. 

Something attempted to divert his attention away from a gnarl of tree roots. One of his ears twitched, perking towards it while the other focused on whatever expletives escaped the Warrior as she scrabbled among the rocks. He approached the mass of roots, senses extended in case he accidentally sprang a trap. Elidibus reached the spot with little fanfare and rolled his eyes at how easily he had come to think like one of these shattered beings. He could almost hear Lahabrea’s derision. At least his task was nearing completion and he had already learned a few things about their enemy.

Both ears swiveled backwards as the Warrior’s voice reached him. 

“Did you find it?”

“I believe so.”

The sound of splashing water announced her approach as he explored behind the tree roots with a gloved hand. His fingers discovered a hollow in the rock. They delved in just as the Warrior reached him. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders and her chin brushed against his ears while she tried to peek at what he was doing. For the briefest of moments, he found he didn’t fully mind the contact. 

His fingers brushed against something. He leaned forward, feeding more of his arm into the hiding spot. The Warrior cheered him on as he grasped whatever was inside and pulled, only to find it trapped against the overgrown roots. Two firm tugs freed the small chest. The momentum threw him off balance, sending him backwards into the Warrior. She cried out in surprise as the two fell into the water. 

The Miqo’te blinked at him for a moment, her gold eyes scanning him from top to bottom. He blankly stared back at her while his tail thrashed in the water behind him, serving only to splash more water on his already soaked coat. Once it seemed she had verified he was alright, she hopped up with a giggle and helped him to his feet.

“Sorry about that,” she said, but the light of laughter lingered on her face. “Are you alright?”

“Merely bruised my pride. It will heal with time,” he said and lifted the chest with one hand. “At least we found your treasure.”

“And hopefully our colossus is soon to follow,” she added, tail arching up in happiness. “You found it; you should be the one to open it. I’ll keep an eye out for our friend.”

A nod from him and she readied her weapons before turning her back on him. He gently rested a hand on the lid, checking the chest for any traps. A murmured spell easily disarmed the one he found within and he opened the chest. 

The moment he did, he sensed movement in the trees. The Warrior tensed as he stood up and drew his rapier and crystal focus. 

“It’s coming,” she warned.

Elidibus extended his senses outward. Something registered at the limits of his search and was quickly approaching. Metallic clanking reached their ears a moment before what looked like an immense suit of armor burst into the clearing. 

The Warrior charged forward, shield raised to intercept the swing of the colossus’ blade. Taking into account he couldn’t use his true abilities for fear of exposing himself to the Miqo’te, Elidibus fell back into old habits. The crystal focus easily slid into the pommel of his rapier, turning the two into a staff for him to channel spells. 

Recalling what he knew of the construct, he focused on lightning spells directed at its core, while the Warrior kept its attention. She blocked and parried with her shield and darted in to attack its weak spots at the joints. 

After a few blows, a barrier surrounded the construct while it seemed to repair itself. The Warrior stabbed at the barrier, only to be thrown back. The colossus took aim at the stunned Miqo’te and fired off a laser. 

Elidibus reacted before he could stop himself. He dashed to the Warrior’s side and planted his makeshift staff into the ground in front of them. Darkness coalesced to form a barrier in front of them, swallowing up the construct’s laser. His spell dispersed as the woman regained her senses and staggered to her feet.

The colossus took aim at him. He exchanged a nod with the Warrior before firing off another spell. It struck, interrupting the construct’s attack and disrupting its barrier long enough for the Miqo’te to charge back in. 

A quick flick of his wrist and a moment’s concentration uncoupled the focus from his rapier. He dashed in while the Warrior sidestepped a swing of the colossus’ wide sword. The weapon lodged itself in the ground, leaving the construct open to their attacks. The Warrior lashed out at the gaps in their enemy’s plating while Elidibus climbed up to its shoulder. He drove his rapier deep into the gap between the colossus’ chestplate and its helm before slotting the crystal focus back into his sword. 

“Get back!” he shouted to the Warrior and channeled a lightning spell into his weapon. 

Lightning arced through the construct. Elidibus withdrew his makeshift staff to leap off the colossus’ shoulder. An armored hand swiped at him in midair. It caught him in the side, knocking him into the trunk of a nearby tree. He struck it with a sickening crack. Air fled his lungs as searing pain flashed through his chest. 

The Warrior rushed over to him and planted herself in front of his crumpled form. Then, everything went dark.

Every movement brought pain. Lying still brought pain. Breathing hurt. Holding his breath made it  _ worse _ . Elidibus clenched his eyes and tried to sit up, gritting his teeth against the resulting pain. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he swore never to take another vessel until Zodiark was whole once again.

A pair of hands suddenly supported his back and front. He opened his eyes to discover he was in his room from that morning. In a chair beside his bed sat the Warrior, concern darkening her features.

“You really shouldn’t sit up, you know,” she warned.

“What of the colossus?”

The Miqo’te managed a small smile and tilted her head towards a pile of scrap metal in the corner.

“That’s all that was salvageable after your spell blew it to bits. Your client should be pleased; I know someone who’s a master of magitek and he assured me about everything there.” 

Her smile relaxed a bit along with her ears. The hand on his back gently rubbed his shoulder. Elidibus found himself leaning into the gesture as his ears relaxed and the tip of his tail idly twitched.

“You fight pretty well,” she noted. “Hitting the core with a jolt like that was a good move. Although I have no idea how you blocked its magitek ray.”

“Trade secret.”

The Warrior chuckled and stood up. He idly noted the sudden chill on his shoulder while she headed for the door.

“Alright, Keeper of  _ Secrets _ , the healer said you cracked a few ribs so you should probably stay out of fights for the next couple of weeks. I left something for you to eat on the table over there. I have a couple things to do, but I’ll be by the check on you around dinner.”

She paused at the door and smiled at him over her shoulder.

“Try not to get into any trouble while I’m out, will you?”

He managed a polite smile in return.

“I shall endeavor to be on my best behavior.”

The Miqo’te slipped through the open door and quietly shut it behind her. 

Elidibus breathed a sigh of relief and fell back into the bed. He immediately bit back a yell as pain shot through him. Deciding that his mission was now complete and he had more than enough first-hand information on the Warrior, he focused on relaxing the aether constituting his vessel. It dissipated slowly, but the relief was instantaneous.

Once back to his normal state of being, a clawed glove came up to adjust his mask before the Emissary assured his hood was in place. He stood, grateful to be light-footed once more, and approached the lunch the Warrior had left him. For a moment, he thought to simply leave it, but thought better of it. A tap on the bowl’s rim emptied it of its contents and he pocketed the more portable fruit and hard cheese. Elidibus then turned his attention to the remains of the colossus. After briefly considering his options, he waved his hand over the pile. It vanished without a trace. 

He spared a final glance at the room to ensure the Warrior would get the impression the mysterious Miqo’te had left during the day. After a final, satisfied nod, Elidibus vanished into the darkness.

Idle curiosity made the Emissary watch the Warrior of Light throughout the rest of the day. It was much the same as her  _ previous  _ day where she continued helping the townsfolk. A part of him wondered when she would finally rest.  _ Another _ part wondered if she would truly go to check his room at the end of the day.

The familiar hum of someone stepping through a portal caught his attention. An irritated voice rang out before he could bother to acknowledge his visitor.

“ _ There _ you are! Dearest and most honorable Elidibus, would you happen to know why a pile of  _ scrap metal _ appeared in my chambers?”

“My apologies for the rude awakening, Emet-Selch. I merely thought to gift you a reminder of your previous life.”

The white-haired architect of empires approached to stand beside him with his arms crossed over his black robes.

“Next time, kindly do me the favor of throwing it in a box, tying it with a lovely red bow, and shov—” 

He stopped suddenly as the Warrior entered their line of sight. Emet-Selch stared at the Miqo’te cross the street below them.

“That’s… Isn’t that…?”

“It is,” Elidibus confirmed. “You can thank her for helping me acquire that pile of junk that is likely strewn across the floor of your rooms.”

A curious hum vibrated in the other Ascian’s throat. 

“Well! Color  _ me _ surprised. I didn’t think you were one to directly  _ meddle _ .”

“Less meddling and more reconnaissance,” Elidibus replied dryly. He was already beginning to regret waking his colleague. “Whatever you wish to name it, the endeavor proved fruitful. Come, let us locate Lahabrea so I may report my findings to both of you.”

With barely a second glance at the Miqo’te below them, Elidibus turned on his heel and vanished into the darkness with Emet-Selch.

The Warrior’s ears perked as the feeling of being watched suddenly passed. She thanked the kindly Hyur for the payment and walked back towards the Aetheryte in the middle of town. Her eyes wandered up to the rooftops before dropping down to the window of the room where she had left the strange male Miqo’te. An instinct deep within told her that the man would be gone if she were to head up and check the room. 

Her raven blue ears slightly drooped as her long tail stilled. She had been so certain of what she had seen, but helped him anyway. Something inside wanted to believe that she had met an Ascian willing to—at the very least— _ converse _ instead of attacking her on sight. 

The Warrior sighed. She hoped the Ascian could at least recover from his injury and idly wondered which one he was.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Wanna join a discord packed with other people who like FFXIV fanfics? [ Here you go! ](https://discord.gg/EdYa4x9)
> 
> Think of it as a... book club filled with wholesome, yet _thirsty_ people who play FFXIV together! We're all really creative and beyond supportive. <3


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